Historic Marguerita Lane

Thanks to Sarah Emery Bunn at Walking Pasadena and Diana Britt, respectively, for a couple of photos and local history (via Pasadena Heritage) about historic Marguerita Lane…

Retired dentist Alexander Schutt (family was Canadian immigrants, first to Wisconsin, then North Dakota) proposed the lane as a group of Spanish Colonial Revival studio houses, an artists colony. Lots are small (4500-4900 square feet), frontages of 60 feet or so.

Historical photos as found at National Parks Service (NPS.gov) along with nomination of Marguerita Lane for historic landmark status:

Entrance gate to home at the end of Marguerita Lane; photo by Kat Ward.

Photo: Kat Ward.

Looking down Marguerita Lane, just off Marengo Avenue, late afternoon; photo by Kat Ward.

The story goes on to describe 16 bungalows, each to cost about $3,000, on the property on South Marengo Avenue “south of the Isolation Hospital,” which will “take its place to make Pasadena an art center.”

It also mentions a request by developer Dr. Alexander Schutt—whose sons were the architects and builders—for a 6-foot high, 150-foot long masonry wall “to hide a refuse dump maintained on an arroyo by the city of South Pasadena.”

The houses never became a true work-live artists’ colony, though long-time resident Ralph Hurtado said a few artists have lived there over the years.

Margarita Lane became the 12th neighborhood (at the time of 2009) to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Of course, there are other Spanish-style houses throughout Pasadena, but, said Sue Mossman, director of Pasadena Heritage (at the time), “this has got to be the best, the most intact and the most adorable little collection we have.

“Each individual house has all the characteristics” for listing, Mossman said. “But the collection of them adds another level of significance and coherence, and protecting them all becomes even more important—the grouping goes beyond the charm of the individual.”

Photo by Sarah Emery Bunn, Walking Pasadena.

In 2015, Pasadena Heritage’s spring home tour included Marguerita Lane homes. Lisa Boone of the LA Times wrote that besides three “spectacular” homes in other locations, the tour included seven “modest” homes on Marguerita Lane. Modest though they may be, lovely they are with particular details that charm the eye…